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Local Govt Ministry begins assessment of COVID-19 impact on govt policies, programmes
The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has commenced the assessment and monitoring of the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on government policies and programmes, particularly the various agricultural and health initiatives and interventions in the districts.
Its objective is to determine the readiness of the leadership of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) country-wide in marshalling their forces to contain the virus in their areas and devise effective strategies to mitigate the effects of the pandemic.
Mr Augustine Collins Ntim, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development who announced this during the first leg of his assessment and monitoring tour of some MMDAs in the Ashanti, Ahafo and Northern regions last week, acknowledged the possible negative impact of COVID-19 on major government initiatives and interventions.
“The effects of COVID-19,” he noted, “are obvious” but pointed out that “as leaders and a nation, we must not allow the virus to derail our developmental efforts especially the various initiatives and interventions carefully crafted by the government to improve the lot of the people”.
“COVID-19 or no COVID-19, life must go on. So must Local governance, in particular, also go on to provide the people with the necessary direction towards the application of the safety protocols and other measures aimed at mitigating the effects of the pandemic,” Mr Ntim stated.
The Deputy Minister emphasized that the government’s current priority attention was on how to effectively protect the citizens against the virus, mindful of the fact that “the people, constituting the nation’s most important asset and resource, are also the ultimate beneficiaries of its development policies and programmes”.
Highlighting President Akufo-Addo’s vision of a rapid total national development, he explained that the various agricultural interventions hyping the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD), Rearing for Food and Jobs (RFJ) and Modernisation of Agriculture in Ghana (MAG) as major programmes were specially engineered by Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Minister of Food and Agriculture to boost agricultural production.
They were carefully designed to take expression at the district level where the bulk of the country’s population live with the goal of economically empowering them, promoting the export of agricultural produce and providing the raw material base of the One District, One Factory programme.
The Ministry, under the able leadership of Hajia Alima Mahama, he said, recognized the critical role of local government in the successful implementation of the programmes and was therefore poised to ensure that the MMDAs live up to the task.
Criticising the tendency of some MMDAs to expend their resources on the execution of mainly physical development projects, the Deputy Minister asked them “not to use all their funds on the provision of toilets and classrooms.”
“The MMDAs need to invest in other areas that will help to economically empower the people and make them financially-inclusive so as to enable them to pay levies and taxes with ease,” he advised.
The Deputy Minister indicated that while most of the MMDAs are doing very well in providing leadership in the area of rural economic development, others are not and advised that the nonchalant attitude of some MMDAs must give way to sound reasoning and judgment.
“The Akufo-Addo administration is not the business as usual type. It’s a serious government engaged in serious business and therefore won’t countenance any feet-dragging”, Mr Ntim cautioned.
Source: Ghanaian Times
Medical Doctor and dietician, Dr Bernice Korkor Asare, has urged women to take greater responsibility for their lifestyle choices, particularly their eating habits and levels of physical activity, to help reduce their risk of developing breast cancer.
According to her, although, some breast cancer risk factors, such as family history and certain reproductive factors, may not be within an individual’s control, lifestyle choices offer an opportunity for people to take preventive action.
She made this known during a talk on the topic: “Role of diet in breast cancer prevention” organised by Times Ladies Association of the New Times Corporation, publishers of The Ghanaian Times and The Spectator, in Accra on Thursday.
The event themed “Breast Cancer Awareness- Promoting Early Detection, Healthy Eating and Prevention.” 
She noted that having a risk factor did not automatically mean a person would develop breast cancer, but could increase the likelihood of developing the disease compared with someone without that particular risk factor.
“Having close relatives who have had breast cancer, particularly a mother, sister or daughter, may increase the risk, although not everyone with a family history will develop the disease,” Dr Asare opined. Read More.
By Adizatu K. Munkaila
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A group of compassionate friends from Innovation Gospel Impact last Friday visited the management, teachers and learners of the Street Academy in Accra.
The visit was to interact to get a deeper insight into the operations of the Academy that houses hundreds of street and underprivileged children and find ways to support them.
The team was led by Rev. Dr Isaac Apenteng Yeboah, a former Director for West African Mailbox Club and Director for Prisons Support Foundation, and Rev. Dale Sutherland from Washington DC.
The call, according to the visitors was occasioned by reports about the struggles of the Academy despite the occasional support it enjoys from individuals and some corporate entities.
Briefing them, the Founder and Executive Director of the Academy, Dr Ataa Lartey, thanked them for the concern showed, indicating that “this is a major boost for both teachers and learners; knowing that their plight is known by people outside their premises.”
According Dr Lartey, the Academy had planned to undertake a number of project to enhance teaching and learning and also procure facilities for the children with keen interest in sports but had to shelve those plans for lack of finance.
He told the team that their biggest concerns were the monthly utility bills that takes a toll on their finances.
“We have a piece of land we planned to turn into an astro turf pitch to train the younger ones whose interests lies in making a career out of football, however, we have been unable to commence because there is no money now,” he said.
Dr Lartey expressed gratitude to the teachers who have dedicated their lives to training these children, rather than going for well-paying jobs and hoped that with time, their conditions of engagement would improve.
Moved by the plight of the Academy, the group donated a cash amount of Gh₵3,000 to settle its water bills.
They described as unfortunate the conditions of learners and teachers of the Academy and pledged to continuously support their operations to realize the dream to build a better future for the unfortunate children.
The group offered to support the school with its monthly utility bills, feeding and staff allowance and urged the Academy staff to remain in constant touch with them.
The Street Academy is located at the Accra Art Center and offers brilliant but needy the chance to pursue their educational dreams by enrolling them in public schools with others offered training in sports and cultural activities.
By Spectator Reporter
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